The Realm of Nightmares
by Lylilu
Summary: Canalave has always been just another city to Dawn, Lucas, and Damion. But nightmares are ravaging its citizens, threatening all who enter and all who try to leave. With the fate of Sinnoh hanging in the balance, will these trainers make it out alive?
1. The First Nightfall

Chapter One: The First Nightfall

_Dawn: Canalave City_

* * *

"We need to find a place to stay for the night." Damion pointed out, his eyes searching the city for some area of refuge. "An inn, or something."

"The Pokemon Center's closed?" I asked. Lucas nodded, and Damion rolled his eyes. "Their computers were busted up. Plus, there weren't any spare rooms to stay in." He tossed his green scarf back, and stopped to wait for us, impatient as always. "Come on, let's find a map. I'm getting sick of walking around aimlessly."

The boys ran up ahead, while I just walked around, surveying the foreign city and its exotic air. Wingulls flew overhead, squawking, and the salty smell of the sea air engulfed us. Although there was so much commotion, I felt oddly at peace. I knew that Canalave City held an air of adventure, and adventuring was what I loved to do most.

Lucas looked back at me, his eyebrows raised. He was always the smart one, who always knew what to do, but he could be a real annoyance sometimes. His sarcasm was probably the reason why I felt more comfortable around Damion...

Or maybe it was the fact that Damion and I had been friends since we were little kids.

But whatever the matter, I always felt a little more defensive around Lucas, although we considered each other friends. The way he was looking at me now... I don't know. I guess it was making me uncomfortable, because I crossed my arms and stopped walking.

"What?"

He stopped, causing Damion to stop as well. "Dawn, could you hurry up? I don't want to go back and look for you when we've found somewhere to stay."

"Fine, fine." I huffed and shouldered my bag, brushing past some strangers and walking up to Damion, who grinned. "Still slow as always. You haven't changed a bit."

I knew that Damion considered anybody slower than him to be dumber than a rock and anybody quicker than him to be a maniac. Rolling my eyes, I ignored him and walked on. The sun was swiftly setting, and the skies were a strange crimson shade. It would've been picturesque, if not for the sailors shouting curses at the docks nearby.

"Wait here." Lucas motioned with his arm for us to stay put and ran up to a stranger walking ahead. Damion groaned, evidently not enjoying the notion of "staying put", while I looked ahead at what he was doing. The flustered man was trying to convince Lucas of something, but the stubborn kid just kept on shaking his head and trying to explain our current predicament. They were too far ahead for us to hear anything, but I caught a few words that seemed to mean nothing out of context. Finally, the stranger gave up and walked away in the opposite direction.

"Arceus." I heard Lucas say under his breath as he walked back to us. "What the heck's wrong with this city?"

"I don't know. You were the one talking to him," I pointed out. Lucas glared at me before walking ahead again.

"What's wrong with him?" I mused quietly, low enough for only Damion to hear. He shrugged, although I knew he only didn't want to explain. We walked on, watching the skies worriedly, knowing that we had to get some shelter before night fell.

I knew that Lucas had a reason to be stressed out. He was just a normal kid like the rest of us, but none of us had gone through what he did. His parents had lost their jobs at Jubilife City, and they all had to move to Sandgem Town, where Lucas' grandparents lived. And then Professor Rowan came back to Sinnoh. His parents became researchers, and quite unwillingly, he became the professor's assistant. He didn't jump at the chance to do the Pokedex project, even though he loved Pokemon as much as the rest of us. He didn't want change in his life anymore, and I knew that it was especially hard for him to travel now.

Still, I wondered, it wouldn't be too much to ask for him to be a little less frustrating.

We walked still, our feet aching from the miles we had ran the day before. We hadn't realized how much energy we had spent until after we had arrived at Canalave. The joy of getting another gym badge (our fifth) somewhat erased any signs of tiredness, I guess. Anyways, we were tired, hungry, and the Pokemon Center wasn't accepting any more travelers.

"Lucas?" Damion called, albeit a little shakily. "Uh... it's getting dark. Did that stranger say anything about a hotel? A place to stay, at least?"

"Yeah," I contributed, trying to sound encouraging. "I did a little reading back at Jubilife. We could stay at Harbor Inn. I think it's that old place behind the Pokemon Center; you've seen it?" Damion nodded, and I shrugged. "Should we go check if there's any room?"

I guess Lucas cooled off a little after walking, because he shrugged and stopped to wait for us. As we got closer, he started again, talking as we searched for a map.

"The guy actually told me not to go there," he remarked nonchantly, his blue eyes betraying a sliver of annoyance. "Says that we're better off camping someplace."

"Any particular reason why?" I prodded, trying to get the answer out. Damion just stood by, foot tapping the floor impatiently.

"He was creeped out about something," Lucas finally muttered, after a moment of contemplation. "The guy said that there was something wrong with the city. Somehow, this place has been plagued by some evil spirit, and they think that Harbor Inn is where the entire thing began."

"You're really going to believe that superstitious cra-" Damion began hastily, but I cut him off.

"So what's been happening to these people?"

Lucas pointed in the direction of a chubby-looking sailor, who looked good-natured but a little sad. "See that sailor? He was the previous owner of the inn. Rumor has it that his son's fallen to some nightmares, ones that he can't wake up from. He also claims to have seen some strange Pokemon... I don't know. It's just a rumor."

"Creepy." Damion said, but I rolled my eyes.

"You guys, you know that we need somewhere to stay for the night. And you know that rumors aren't very reliable."

"That's true, Dawn, but the stranger said that it's happened before. He said that every person who's stays at Harbor Inn will get plagued with the same kind of nightmare." He glanced around the city, as if he were looking for something. "I guess we should just go back to Jubilife City and rest there. I know some people that'd let us stay for a while."

Damion looked crestfallen. Lucas and I both knew that he was the most excited about gym battling, and that he wanted to face Byron, Canalave's gym leader, as soon as possible. I felt the same way, but mostly, I wasn't too ecstatic about walking back to Jubilife. I guess we could fly there, but... I shook off the thought, and turned to the guys, who were having an animated conversation about finding a place to stay.

"Look, Damion, I know that you want to do some battling, but it's better just to play it safe. The guy told me that the nightmares are even spreading to wider parts in the Canalave region. There's no known cure for them."

"You're just scared of some weird old legend. Nightmares aren't a big deal!"

"Not if they're affecting just one or two people. Harbor Inn's deserted now that every guest's fallen to them!"

"Yeah, but they're just a bunch of weaklings. I'm about to be Sinnoh champ! Nightmares can't stop me."

"So you'd sleep in some deserted inn just to prove that?"

They went on, and on, and I knew that this would get us nowhere. "Guys, look. Let's just... I don't know... flip a coin." They looked up, and Lucas sighed. "Fine, then. I call heads."

"Tails," Damion griped. I quickly flipped through my Poketch apps until I got to the Coin Toss one, then flipped the coin lying in the center.

"Tails," I called out, causing Lucas to groan and Damion to smirk triumphantly.

"I swear that thing is rigged," Lucas muttered, and Damion laughed.

"No, Dawn just wants to make sure her _best friend_ gets to win."

Lucas shot a glance at me, and I shrugged. "What? You can look at my Poketch if you want. It says tails, right here..."

He ignored me, and continued on. Damion, sensing my bewilderment, quietly sided with me and continued walking.

"What now?"

"I guess we follow Angry Boy." I answered quietly. The streetlamps surrounding us shone like beacons in the night sky, shining through the dark clouds that blanketed the night. The wind had grown cold, and I shivered.

"That's it," I decided. "A change of clothes is in order." Damion rolled his eyes and gave my scarf a yank.

"About time. I was wondering if you were going to do anything about that skirt."

The three of us walked across a wooden bridge, the waves of the sea crashing below us. Damion peered over with curiousity, while Lucas just continued on without a word. I silently followed, hoping that he knew where he was going. I didn't want to get lost now, with the wind howling and the skies black with nightfall. It looked like a storm was coming, with the pitch-black clouds shielding the new moon.

"Dawn?" Damion looked at me as if he were waiting for me to do something. Suddenly, I realized that I was too busy getting lost in my thoughts to really pay attention again.

Lucas had crossed the bridge and walked a little farther ahead. He stopped in his tracks, and in the dim glow of the streetlamps, I could see a broad smile cross his face. It had been so long since I'd seen him so happy, and it was a huge improvement over the sour mood he had been in today.

"Lucas? Anything wrong?" Damion called. I wondered if he was blind and couldn't see Lucas' obvious happiness.

"Guys, come look at this." He called, motioning for us to hurry up.

We ran across the bridge and stopped where he was. In front of us was a towering building, almost as tall as the Veilstone Department Store, but slightly older and less modern. A fountain decorated the entrance, and the lights inside looked safe and comforting. A sign by the door read "Canalave Library."

"Hm. No wonder he likes this place," Damion snorted. We all knew that Lucas was really into learning about Pokemon. He was always getting top marks on his school reports and such, but he wasn't considered a nerd by any of his classmates (probably with the exception of Damion, who was eyeing Lucas with a smirk). He was too aloof and detached for anybody to really get close to him. It wasn't until we had decided to take up a summer internship program at Professor Rowan's that we really got to know him.

"You know what this means, do you?" Lucas asked Damion. I could see a faint glimmer of excitement shine in his blue eyes. Damion rolled his amber ones and shrugged.

"If we read up on the legends of Sinnoh, this'll give us a chance to stop those blue-haired freaks. Team Galactic. They want to steal the Pokemon of the lake, but if we find out more about them, we'll be able to get all the information we need to stop the commanders."

"But remember, we're still trying to find a place to stay for the night," I pointed out. "Now's not the time for reading up."

Lucas' excitement dimmed away. "Alright, then. But I'll come back in the morning, I guess."

"I thought we were going to the gym tomorrow!"

"Maybe in the afternoon, Damion."

Damion sighed, and I could sense his disappointment. He was always trying to be the best, trying to meet up with his father's expectations. We all knew that he was somewhat impulsive, but that was because he wanted to win all the time. He would stop at nothing to become the best.

Maybe that was why out of all of us, he wanted to be the Sinnoh Champion more than anything else.

But me? I guess you could say that I'm a lot more easygoing. The battling's fun, but for me, it's the journey that counts. Going new places and seeing new Pokemon... it just makes me happy, sappy as that sounds. Damion used to joke around and compare me to Mesprit, the Mirage Pokemon of Lake Verity. Ever since we've learned about the guardians of the lakes from Professor Rowan, Damion's been comparing us three to the legendary trio. Me, to Mesprit, because we're both always moving around and going places. Him, to Azelf, the being of willpower. Both stop at nothing to do what they want. And finally, he jokes about comparing Lucas to Uxie, the being of intelligence. It's pretty self-explanatory.

Whenever he brought that up, I'd always roll my eyes. "We're not deities, Damion." And that would shut him up. But I was always determined, after every single battle with Team Galactic, to defeat them, because I knew that whatever they were doing, it involved hurting the guardians of the lake.

Even I knew that Sinnoh couldn't survive without them.

--

"So it's settled, then? We're staying at that old inn?"

"There's noplace else. But if some spirit assaults you in the middle of the night, you brought it on yourself," Lucas replied blankly, the sharpness in his voice dulled by his excitement at finding the library. I just trailed the two as usual, trying to keep the weariness out of my step and the hunger out of my stomach.

"No matter what happens, just remember that it wasn't really my choice. But Harbor Inn is the only place we can stay tonight, you know? We should go if we can."

Lucas said nothing, and I could see a trace of reluctant acceptance in his eyes. Damion just nodded resolutely.

We had walked across the bridge for nothing, it seemed. Night had fallen, and the streetlights cast an otherwordly glow onto the stone-paved road. We retraced our path, making our way across the now-empty bridge again and to the Pokemon Center, where we checked again for a place to stay. The most we could do was to get something to eat, and at least that much was allowed. Stepping into the semi-deserted cafe, glaring lights flashing onto scrubbed white tabletops, I could tell that we all felt a tinge of relief that we were safe from the biting-cold breeze that had stirred up outside.

"So," Damion started, leaning against his seat as Lucas told the waitress his food choices in a low murmur. "I'm thinking that you and I should go gym battling in the morning. We can all meet up at noon, right?"

"Right," I replied, trying to ignore the smell of cooking food that was wafting through the air. "But Lucas wants to read up on a few things, and I think we should go with him too."

"Why? The sooner we get our badge, the sooner we get to leave this creepy city."

"Now who's the guy that's scared?" Lucas cut in, apparently done with his order. The waitress took all our menus as we turned to the red-hatted boy. "The Prof's going to get on all our cases if we don't categorize every single Pokemon that lives in Canalave. We should stay as long as we can."

"We're not going on _another_ research expedition, are we?" Damion groaned, and I shrugged, somewhat cheerful about seeing new Pokemon but disheartened when I saw the disappointment on my best friend's face.

"Yeah, I think we've got to. There's tons of new Pokemon that live around Canalave. Iron Island's not far from this city, so we could also get a few more entries into our Pokedexes there," Lucas mused absentmindedly, seeming as if he were making notes in his head. He did this sometimes, and both Damion and I marveled at how he could remember almost everything. I guess it was just force of habit, him being the professor's assistant and all.

"So it's a good plan, then?" I spoke up after a minute or two of silence. "A research expedition to Iron Island?"

"Sounds like the ideal thing to do," Lucas sighed, then pointed to Damion with a wooden chopstick. "Your thoughts?"

"Ugh, come _on_," was the griping response. Iron Island sounded really fun to me, and I could tell that even Lucas was a little excited at seeing new Pokemon. It was only Damion that was crestfallen, and I could tell that he just wanted to get through all the gyms as quickly as possible. That meant leaving Canalave after just being here for a day or so, and despite all those spooky rumors, I wasn't too keen on traveling for days on end just to get to another city.

"You guys don't get the idea of saving time," he muttered as Lucas tried to reason with him. The researcher sent me a look that meant "Help me," and I wracked my brain, trying to remember what I read about Iron Island back at school.

"Damion, look on the bright side. Iron Island's got tons of trainers! You could battle them and make your Pokemon a lot stronger," I decided in an attempt to cheer him up. It seemed to work, because the droop in his face seemed to lift and he shrugged, a little bit of the impudence in his voice fading as he replied:

"Fine. Fill our Pokedexes and whatnot. But _only for a day_."

I beamed at him, and Lucas seemed to be pleased in that smug way of his. I had no time to say anything else, as the waitress came again, this time trying to balance three bowls of noodles in her circular tray. As she slid them onto the tabletop, I hastily distributed the bowls to Damion and Lucas and dug into mine.

"Quite the eater, eh?" Lucas muttered to Damion, who nodded, noting that I was blazing my tongue with every sip of the hot soup I took.

"Yeah. Don't be surprised if she wakes up tomorrow with half her tongue burned off."

--

_"You should go," the spectacled man_ _mumured. "The sooner the better. I forsee a tragedy; it's better that you're there."_

_"Your insight is appreciated, Lucian," came the quiet, contemplative reply. Grey eyes darted around the empty room, as if something's prescence had been sensed. "Canalave is in danger. It seems as if those apparitions grow stronger by the day."_

_"Any new developments?" This time, a hint of curiousity tinted the man's voice. The woman, golden locks framing her pale face, leaned against the wall with the air of one that had seen too much in too short a time. _

_She sighed, then, a firm resolution hiding the weariness that lay under her gaze. _

_"By the time I get to Canalave, Lucian, I figure that I'll find out more than I care to know."_

_"But with you there, it's only a matter of time before the ordeal sorts itself out," he noted. She acknowledged this with a small smile._

_"I'll leave tomorrow morning, then. Take care of all the challengers; I'll deal with them in due time."_

_A faint flicker of a grin manifested itself on Lucian's face. She noted this with a raise of an eyebrow; she hadn't intended the statement to be a joke._

_"What's so funny?"_

_"The mere thought of any challengers getting past you."_

_She said nothing, just turned away. Lucian cleared his throat and didn't attempt to break the silence, just waited until the woman spoke._

_"The people of Canalave are strong. I know that Byron keeps a steady watch over the city's proceedings," she replied, somewhat absentmindedly. "If the problem hasn't been fixed in two years, I know that it'll take more than just my help to keep the area safe."_

_"Try the trainers there. There's plenty, according to Byron's complaints."_

_"Yet, only a few do manage to get past his team," she murmured. "We could always relieve Aaron and Flint of their duties. Postpone any challenges to the League for a brief time and send them to investigate."_

_"Isn't it bad enough having the champion away?" He responded, and she tried to bite her words back. She was just being selfish again, trying to lighten her workload. Champion of the League had sounded lovely at first, but as the grandeur faded away, she had realized the hard work that came with it. _

_It was facing dozens of tough and arrogant trainers each day, fighting with her all as her competitors shouted at their Pokemon and she tried to keep her eyes from closing in tiredness._

_It was trying to stop those blue-haired fools... Team Galactic, was it? Trying to stop them from taking all that she had worked for in the end._

_It was doing things like this. Saving cities and such. And then coming back from a week or two of excruciatingly difficult work and making her Pokemon slave and battle and fight just so she could maintain the position she hated so much now._

_The world had not been kind to the Sinnoh region's champion._

_"Fine, then," she found herself stating quickly, as if a split-second hesitation would make her bite her words back. "I'll go alone. Maybe find some help along the way."_

_"Trust me," Lucian chuckled as she nodded to him with weary resolution and headed to the door. "You'll find help in Canalave. Lots of it."_

_--_

Harbor Inn was a derelict little place with a small, crumbling sign that was barely legible. I presented it to them with a flourish, trying not to note the look of utter disdain on Lucas' face and the hesitation in Damion's step.

"What? Not good enough for the two of you?"

"It's perfectly fine. Charming," Lucas remarked sarcastically, and I nodded as if taking it literally.

"It's just that when you see it up close, it does look like the place some evil spirit would haunt," Damion murmured. Lucas eyed him with an air of annoyance, and I had to fight back the urge to comment on that.

"So what's up? You guys not tired yet? Get a move on!"

"You go first, Dawn," Damion offered, hanging behind. Lucas made no effort to contradict him, and trailed along behind me. I sighed, realizing how ironic it was that I had the most courage for once, and during a situation like this, too.

The door made a hollow, empty sound as I knocked on it. Paint was peeling, and the entire house looked like it had given up and was deteriorating at will. "Hello? Anyone here?"

I tried that again, but to no avail. The door didn't swing open, and it didn't budge when I turned the doorknob. "Can we stay here tonight? Anyone?"

"He-Hey, well, I guess not! You know, I'm starting to think that staying at Jubilife _does_ sound good tonight, eh, Lucas?" came Damion's shaky reply. Lucas, who I was sure felt the same way, took advantage of the other boy's mounting trepidation and shook his head, having some fun at the guy's expense.

"You wanted to stay here for the night, remember? The coin toss says we stay here, so we do."

As the boys bickered behind me, I sighed and knocked on the door again. The dark was really unnerving. The clouds covered the sky and blanketed it with an aura of grey, and the streetlamps gave off only the faintest bit of light. I wished that the moon was out- anything would've been better than standing here, the wind biting at my open skin and making me shiver in the darkness.

In a last-ditch attempt, I flung my fists at the door and rapped the deteriorating wood as if my life depended on it. Lucas stopped trying to reason with Damion to glance over at me, a hint of amusement in his gaze. Damion, who was just standing there, looked as if he were fighting with himself. _Jubilife or Canalave? Bravery or safety? _I didn't ask myself these questions, because I was too afraid that I would suddenly turn into a coward and jump on the "return to Jubilife" bandwagon, Lucas' snarks annoying us the entire flight there.

"Well," I relented then, pulling my reddening knuckles away from the door. "It's locked, it's deserted, and nobody's there. This is just great, you know."

"I guess we don't have a choice. Let's go to Jubilife before the hotels fill up," Damion added, a subtle relief flooding his voice. I shrugged, knowing that there was no other way we could go about the situation, when Lucas walked up in that solemn way of his, a Pokeball resting in his hand.

"Dawn, you really want to stay here?" he inquired, something slightly different in his tone of voice. I nodded.

"This is the only place we've got. It's too cold to be traveling... I just want a good night's sleep for once."

"Fine, then. Staraptor, give the door a pounding," he murmured, his voice barely audible. The grey bird escaped from its confines with a small squawk, wings fluttering in the chilly air. Her trainer pointed to the crumbling door, and she walked up, cautiously tapping the door with her beak, and then ramming it repeatedly onto the wood without warning.

It was interesting how Lucas had once been the person who protested staying at Harbor Inn. Now, he wanted to do anything to get inside, just to prove that he wasn't afraid of it. I could tell this newfound confidence had been spurred on by Damion's fear.

_Or was it something else?_

His voice had held a strange emotion I hadn't heard before, something that transcended pure pride. I had no idea what it was; Lucas was still detached and different even as a traveling companion. I figured that both Damion and I could spend a lifetime with the guy and never really know him.

"That ought to do it," he mused, while Damion tried to hide his annoyance and I looked on, just wanting to get into a warmer place. Canalave was all but deserted. The only sounds in the city, it seemed, were the cries of Wingull and the waves crashing against the harbor. And, oh yeah. The Staraptor's beak ramming against the door.

"That's not gonna work," I pointed out. "And she'll get hurt by doing that. You should call your Staraptor back, Luke."

He eyed me with an air of resolute calmness, and I lowered my gaze. Who was I to argue with the Professor's best young researcher? Instead of ignoring my request, though, I heard him mutter a "Never mind" under his breath and recall the bird Pokemon. Damion eyed this with an interested look in his eye, and for once, I couldn't put a finger on what he thought of the situation. I'd have to ask him about that later.

"So what do we do now?" Lucas asked to nobody in particular. "Camp out, or return to Jubilife?"

"We gave it our all, but I say we should just go back to Jubilife." I announced weakly, trying not to sound too disappointed at traveling again. Lucas nodded (did I sense some relief in that?). Damion just shot a small grin at the two of us and walked on, a new assurance in his step.

"I think that Jubilife'll be better than this weird old city. What's ten minutes of travel? We'll just wake up earlier in the morning so we'll beat all the other trainers to the gym," he announced firmly, and Lucas and I just trailed him. I could sense that Lucas wanted to go back to the library; I just wanted to throw myself onto a bed and take a nap.

"Besides," my best friend continued, talking quickly like he always did when he was relieved, "I'm looking forwards to getting some Poketch upgrades. And the TV Station sounds fun. Maybe we could check the Trainer School out, you know, get some training..."

He walked ahead briskly, his voice becoming ever-fainter, as Lucas leaned towards me and murmured, "He's just glad to be away from the inn, right?"

"You know him so well," I sighed. We walked on together, then, the streetlamps lighting a path back to Jubilife.


	2. The Champion's Visit

Chapter Two: The Champion's Visit

_Jubilife City: Lucas_

* * *

"Wake up, you guys! We've gotta get a move on!"

Ugh. It was only six in the morning, and Damion was already up. I could tell that Dawn was used to this, because she sat up immediately, allowed herself a yawn, and pulled the blankets off without further comment. I, on the other hand, was a lot more reluctant to get out of bed.

"It's six. Gym's not even open," I muttered, allowing some annoyance to seep through my voice.

"Yeah, but it's never too early to train!" he shot back, seemingly unaware that his shouting was making my head hurt. Dawn just shot me a sympathetic smile, which somewhat lessened my sour disposition. Well, we were both in the same boat; might as well grin and bear it.

_Or not_. I mean, we got to Jubilife around ten at night, spent hours looking for a decent hotel, and the guy just decides to wake us both up at daybreak! At least I got a few hours of sleep. I had planned to spend the rest of today reading up, dorky as that sounds, and didn't want to do it with a set of tired eyes.

Come _on_, Damion. I groaned and buried my head in the pillow. Maybe they'd just leave me alone for a second or two. If I was lucky, maybe even a minute.

"Well," Dawn piped up suddenly, trying to nudge me out of bed. "At least you didn't grow up with him. He once woke me up at three in the morning to do some exploring at Lake Verity." She gave up on trying to get me up and walked over to the nightstand that divided our respective beds, rummaging through the drawers until she found her clothes. "We didn't find _anything_, and we had school the next day!"

"Well, there was this really cool news report, and I wanted to see if there-" Damion stopped, shaking his head as he realized that Dawn wasn't listening. "Fine, fine. Sorry. I_ know_ I'm being annoying. But still, it's my sixth gym battle, and I _don't want to lose_."

"So you're just going to train until the gym opens?" I muttered into my pillow. Dawn shrugged, even though the question wasn't directed at her, and took her beanie from the nightstand.

"I thought you'd be used to it by now, Luke. We've been doing this for, what? A few times, every week or so?"

"Huh." I responded incoherently. Damion snorted, and Dawn just sighed and walked off.

"Well, there's no use in pushing the guy," I heard her say as she walked to the bathroom to change. Part of me wanted to stay under the covers, where the world was warm and sleep pulled me in. But part of me wanted to get out and stop the two from treating me like some hopeless nutcase.

Rest or pride? I fought with myself with a second or two before muttering, pulling my head from the pillow, and forcing myself out of bed. Dawn stopped and shot me a smile, while Damion just nodded and tapped his fingers on the wall, impatient as always.

"Here? Happy, Damion?" I managed. "You forced me out of bed. What else do you want?"

The remark went unnoticed, drowned by a "Look, he's up! You should do that a lot more, Dawn. The guilt trick or whatever you just pulled."

"It wasn't anything I did. He got up on his own accord." She shot me a look that could be interpreted as gratefulness, but for what, I wasn't certain. All I knew was that I felt slightly better about having to get up early.

Again, for no particular reason. At all.

"You know," Damion remarked as the bathroom door closed. "You seem to listen to Dawn a lot. Why not me? I'm certainly much more charming."

"If only you could be as tolerable," I thought, but decided against saying it. Instead, I said nothing, which evidently gave him time to think of another snark.

"And you always give her a hand. Never me! I mean, remember yesterday? You just stood by and said nothing when I agreed on going back to Jubilife! And when she wanted to stay at that old inn that was practically _falling apart_, you called your Staraptor out to ram the door open? What's up with that?"

"Nothing. She's a girl and I helped her," I muttered, thinking of nothing else and hoping I didn't sound like a sexist pig. If Damion had any complaints about that, he just stood by and said nothing about it. I relaxed, thinking that his rant had ended, when he spoke the most idiotic thing I had ever heard him say.

"It's not just that, huh? You _like_ her, don't you?"

He leaned against the wall, probably thinking that he was some great detective or something. But to my surprise, even under the circumstances and the subject matter, I actually thought about what Damion said.

For a split-second or two. Then I shook my head.

"No. No, I don't. And you have a problem if you think that at all."

"Oh, come on!" Damion persisted, evidently unaware of what the word "No" meant. "You help her all the time, you do whatever she says, and you're always in a better mood whenever she talks to you. Even I've caught on! There's no denying it!"

... I'll interrupt this little scene we've got going on here to add some of my own thoughts on the matter.

For one, no, I _did not like Dawn_. Not in that way. Certainly not in that way. She was just a nice escape from all those girls who thought of nothing more than makeup and such. She had her vanities, but she was extremely intelligent. And besides, she was calm. Not wild and reckless like those other screaming females in the world.

Second of all, Damion needed to learn what "No" meant. When somebody asks you the question "Do you _like_ him/her" and expect you to give them a coherent, definite answer, they usually warp your answer so that "No" means "Yes" and "Yes" means "YES".

In conclusion, NO MEANS NO, and the world needs to learn that.

Moving on. Damion was too smug. Too smug for his own safety. I had to fight the desire to walk over there and smack that self-satisfied little knowing smirk off his face, but before I could do that, his _best friend in the whole entire world_ entered the room, fully dressed. I didn't know how Dawn could stand wearing tiny skirts and sleeveless shirts the entire day, with the weather getting colder and such. Luckily, she was practical and had planned to go shopping for warmer clothes that afternoon.

And for that, you have my respect, Dawn. Finally _someone _that puts practicality over fashion.

"Hey, Dawn!" Damion grinned, as if he hadn't been completely stupid in the last few minutes she had been absent. "That was fast. Usually, you spend a few more minutes in the bathroom. Fixing your hair and stuff, right?"

"Right. But there's not much of a point. The wind'll mess it up anyways," she pointed out. I nodded, hoping that Damion wouldn't misinterpret this simple gesture, and walked over to the nightstand to pull my clothes out of the drawer.

"You guys can head out to the lobby. I'll meet you guys there."

"It's alright, we'll wait. I'm not in any rush to head out there," Dawn nodded at the door. "And besides. It's better if we stick together."

"Of course, you'd _really_ want her to stay, right?" Damion cut in. Dawn raised an eyebrow, eyeing the guy with that strangely intuitive way of hers. I shrugged, trying to act like I was unaffected by that question, and cut a clear course to the bathroom to change.

"You guys can go if you want. But if you insist on staying, stay."

That seemed to be the best answer, since I heard no audible retaliation from Damion and no sound from Dawn. Taking that as a positive sign, I slipped into the bathroom and closed the door, trying to ignore the fact that Damion could've been telling Dawn anything- _anything_- while I left them alone in that room.

--

"You," I turned to Dawn, "Want to go shopping." She nodded yes, and I then turned to Damion.

"And _you_ want to go training, and then gym battling in the afternoon." He nodded, rolling his eyes. I just simply liked to stay organized, and if annoying Damion was the only way I could go about it, then cool, I had no complaints.

"Alright then. I think the best way to kill time is to travel to Canalave on foot. The department stores are still closed this early in the morning, but I expect them to be open by the time we get there. And we could train by battling the wild Pokemon that appear as we travel, so there's Damion's plans for you."

Dawn gave me an appreciative thumbs-up, while Damion shrugged in that way of his. We were walking down the paved roads of Jubilife, the huge grey towers hanging over us in the early morning darkness. The streets were empty, obviously, so we made good time. I wasn't usually in a hurry, but this morning, I felt some excitement flooding me and compelling my legs to move quicker.

It was the thought of the Canalave Library, but I wasn't about to admit that to Damion, who would probably elevate me to the position of "King of the Geeks" in his mind. I wasn't going there for _leisure reading_, I wanted to remind him. _This is serious stuff. Stuff that could help us save Sinnoh's guardians! _

"And so," Damion was telling Dawn as we walked through the empty streets as I remained silent. "I think this battle's gonna be one of my easiest. Empoleon can tear Byron's Steelix down, no matter how big that thing is! And I bet that the rest of his team's gonna be a breeze. You'll see once we get there."

"I'm sure I will," Dawn replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice. I nodded along, not really wanting to contribute anything. Battling had never been my strong point, and I really had no intentions of forcing my own Pokemon to fight. Of course, unless those Galactic freaks wanted to blow a city up or something insane like that.

"So," Damion continued. "I'm thinking that once we get to Snowpoint, I'll need to think of some strategy, you know? I've heard that the members of the League have been training hard, and it'll take more than just pure power to get past the champion."

"No kidding. You're going to need an intricate battle plan to beat Cynthia," Dawn responded. Cynthia was the champion of the Sinnoh Pokemon League, and despite Damion's obsession with beating her, she was one of his idols. Dawn and I looked up to her in our own ways- for one, she was an old friend of Professor Rowan's, which heightened our respect for her. And she was incredibly strong- there was no doubting that after all we'd seen. We had only met her once or twice during our journey around Sinnoh, and we usually ran some errands for her when she seemed like she needed help. Though she could be somewhat pushy at times, she was also a pretty neat person.

I knew that Damion was looking forwards to running into her again. Probably just to fanboy over her, though.

"... beat that Garchomp of hers," Damion finished. I, as usual, had half-heartedly listened as Dawn and Damion exhausted several conversation topics in one sitting. Finally, in that restless way of his, Damion stopped talking (finally), adjusted his green scarf, and yelled a "Let's go, then, Slowpokes!" into the empty morning sky.

He took off like a rocket, and I half-expected Dawn to go after him. She just sighed, the wind messing up her hair like she predicted it would, and hung back, feet hitting the pavement in time to mine.

"I don't know where he gets the energy," she mused. "Probably wants to run off all that pre-gym battle anxiety, right?"

"Something like that. He must have taken some getting used to."

"I'll say," she responded good-naturedly, a faint tiredness still in her voice. "I want to get back into bed. Wish I had your stubborn will."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I shrugged it off and didn't acknowledge her last statement. "It's only five, so we're all tired. It's fine," I announced feebly, as if it weren't apparent enough. She didn't show any signs of disdain, just continued walking as Damion jogged up ahead.

"It really is cold. I let pride get in the way of practicality, you know?" she changed the subject quickly, sensing my unwillingness to say anything more. "I thought I could actually explore Sinnoh's entirety by summer's end. Guess I miscalculated by a long shot."

"Oh," I managed. How did she know exactly what I was thinking? Dawn was strange like that.. like I said, _oddly intuitive_. Sometimes, it felt like she could sense our emotions, even if we used our best efforts to hide them. It was vaguely creepy at times, but it also lent me some relief. I didn't have to say anything to her; she already knew. With Damion, it took a lot more explaining to get everything out, which was why I usually avoided lengthy conversations with the guy.

"Should we catch up to him?" She nodded at the person in question, who was sprinting down the length of the road. "I'm not in any mood for running, but I don't feel enthusiastic about hearing Daim complain about us again." She fidgeted with her scarf, which was a dark pink color.

"Go ahead, if you want," I responded, watching 'Daim' pass buildings at light speed. "I don't think I could catch up."

That last statement proved wrong, as we both saw Damion stumble and nearly go flying off the street. He regained his composure, though, and ran on.

"He's nervous," she murmured, and raised an eyebrow. "I'd better go, then. Something's off about him."

"See ya," I mumbled, but it went unheard as Dawn, scarf flying, went heading towards her best friend.

--

Countless wild Pokemon, trainer battles, and traveling mishaps later, the three of us made it, panting, to Canalave City. By now, the streets were full of people. Sailors lined the docks, singing ditties or shouting incomprehensible things to passerby.

"So," I heard Damion ask above the din, "Should we ask if there's any room at the Pokemon Center? It can't hurt to check, and if we book a room now, we won't have to worry about sleeping at Jubilife again."

"Sure. You up for it, Luke?" Dawn nudged me with her elbow, and I turned around, somewhat annoyed. I had never really liked loud noises, and with the exhaustion of the morning run added to the unbearably stuffy atmosphere... well, Dawn had only asked a question. I shrugged, trying not to make my displeasure too evident. The last thing I needed was the two of my traveling companions asking me what was wrong.

"You can stay here, if you want," she went on. "Damion and I can go check, and you can just head to the library."

I did like the sound of that, but something compelled me to answer "No, I'll go with you guys. It'll be easier to meet up."

We walked into the Pokemon Center, a gust of cold air enveloping us as we stepped inside the air-conditioned lobby. A swarm of trainers crowded the room, and I could clearly see that nobody was checking out. Dawn went to one of the counters to ask about the vacancy, while Damion just collasped onto a nearby chair and groaned.

"We walked all this way, now we have to walk back again at night. Figures. This _sucks_. Why'd we even bother _trying_?" he grumbled to himself. I listened half-heartedly, then looked up when Dawn headed our way, two cards in hand.

As quickly as he had fallen into it, Damion jumped off the chair and ran to her. "Oh, so we've got a room? Awesome!"

"Not exactly," she murmured. Catching my eye, she handed a card to me. "Can you make any sense of it?"

I turned the card over in my hand. The color was all but scratched off, and the words were barely legible. "Membership Passes? What's this all about?"

"Everything's booked here, so I asked about rooms at Harbor Inn. Turns out that the inn used to have some sort of joint program with the Center." I handed the card back to her, and she pocketed both. "Nurse Joy gave me these passes. She didn't say anything about nightmares, so I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Says you," Damion muttered under his breath, but I ignored her and ventured, "How many nights?"

"As long as we want. It's all but vacant, so I think they're desperate for business. It was cheap, no worries."

"So we have enough for food, water, the necessary things?" Damion asked. Dawn hit him over the head playfully, and I fought the urge to groan.

"I'm sure Dawn's been reasonable with the money. Now let's head off, or the Gym's going to be crowded."

--

"Sorry, kids, but Byron's not acceptin' any more trainers."

"But _why_?" Damion groaned deplorably. The bespectacled man shrugged, propping his arm up against the door of the gym as if guarding it.

"Some incident in the Underground. They're makin' repairs."

"So the Gym's off-limits until the problem's figured out? For about how long?" The trainer persisted, pacing a little. The man was looking more than a little annoyed at this point, but Damion remained unfazed, more preoccupied with the issue at hand.

"I'll say 'bout a week or so. 'Course, what with all those nightmares flying 'round Canalave, I suspect it's more than that. Byron could be having personal issues, I guess. Only explanation I got was something about the Underground." The man shrugged and leaned against the doorways, towering over us. "I told you all I know. Now scram. Makes my job easier."

"Oh, come on!" Damion complained again, and I fought the urge to hit him over the head. Dawn was somewhat relieved at the prospect of getting more time to train with him, and remembering how the two had barely made it past the trainers that flooded the streets that morning, I knew that they both needed the help. But when I remembered how much Damion was probably going to complain until the Canalave Gym reopened, I started to resent Byron as much as the trainer in question probably did at this point.

"Okay, so what now? Studying or shopping?" I asked in an effort to change the subject. Damion just huffed in indignation, while Dawn shrugged and said, "It's really up to you, Lucas."

"Well, we could split up."

"And just meet back here, then? That's alright with me."

I shrugged, then turned to Damion. "You fine with the plan?"

"I don't really care... but who am I going with?"

"Your choice," Dawn broke in, much to my dismay. _Pleasenotmepleasenotmepleeaasenotme_, I begged internally, hoping that Damion would somehow acquire the ability to read minds.

He thought for a moment, and I knew he was debating with himself. An afternoon shopping with Dawn or an afternoon studying with me... both were equally undesirable to him, I could tell. At last, he scrunched up his face in a great show of deep thought, and then pronounced, "I'm going with Luke, here."

"_What?_" Dawn exclaimed, a little more than just surprised. I bit my lip, myself a little shocked by his conclusion, and could only muster an inaudible "Wow."

"And the reasoning behind your choice is...?" She prompted, and I waited for the explanation, thinking it would probably be pretty nonsensical.

Damion shrugged and, to our amazement, said:

"If I go shopping with you, Dawn, I have to haul your bags around, give you fashion advice, and sit around in waiting rooms while moms give me pity looks. The library's got computers, they've got the PokeNet up and running... yeah. And Lucas is probably going to get so lost in his reading that he won't give me a second thought. On the off chance that he does, though, it'll give us lots of _buddy bonding time_."

I tried not to gag.

"Well..." Dawn mused. "That's... understandable, I guess." I could tell that she was somewhat disappointed at having to go off alone, but she evidently found "buddy bonding time" to be of equal importance.

"So you're just going to go by yourself, then? You really don't need Damion to tag along?" I asked- no, _pleaded. _Nevertheless, my thoughts of a quiet afternoon shattered into pieces as Dawn shook her head.

"It'll be fine. You guys have a nice time reading or something. So we'll meet back at the Gym around..." She studied her Poketch. "Four-thirty? Is that alright?"

"Sounds good to me," Damion agreed, while I let my silence answer the question. Nobody seemed to notice, however, and the plan carried on as Dawn skipped away, heading back across the wooden bridge that divided Canalave into two halves.

"See you guys later," she waved, leaving me with the worst guy to bring into a library. Ever.

--

"_Buddy bonding time_? What's up with that?" I fumed as soon as Dawn was out of hearing range. Damion shrugged.

"Dawn's the type that believes _everybody_ should get along and have a good, happy time together. Who am I to shatter her dreams? To deny her _world peace_?"

"And who are you to deny me peace right now?" I knew it was a weak retaliation, but Damion evidently didn't care. He practically pranced up ahead, a spring in his step, seemingly recovered from the fact that the gym was closed.

We walked for a while, and nobody spoke. The library was relatively close to the gym, so I estimated that the journey would only take within a few minutes of weaving through crowds and busy people. The waves crashed against the harbor, and it seemed as if the entire city was getting engulfed by noise. Not a minute of silence permeated the air.

"Come onnnn, Luke! The library caaalllls!" Damion sang once we sighted the library. I began to think that the world was going to end in a few minutes, and truth be told, I almost would've wanted it to. This was getting too out of hand for my own good. First of all, Damion yanked me from bed to get to a gym that wasn't open in the first place. Second, Damion was starting to think that I had some secret _thing_ for Dawn. And third of all, he was going to a library. A _library_.

Instantly, I felt unspeakable self-pity.

"OHMYARCEUSLUKELUKELUKELUKELUKE"

"What now?" I responded, more irate than curious, at the same time scanning my surroundings for anybody who could be a witness if I strangled him on the spot. Damion had ran on ahead while I continued behind him in a steady walk, and, if I saw correctly through the swarm of people, he was at the front of the library.

"LUKELUKELUKELUKELUKEIT'S_CYNTHIAAA_" he breathed/yelled through the incessant chattering of passerby, doing a sort of spasming dance while onlookers pretended not to notice. I suppressed a groan.

I didn't waste time to protest, but pushed my way through the people, running up until Damion was in clear view. Ahead of him was a huge throng of people, screaming and gushing. Maybe what they were swarming around was the source of the huge crowds this morning.

"Yeah, that's Cynthia," I muttered, and it didn't go unnoticed by my companion, who immediately started to tug on my arm.

"Come _on_, Luke, let'sgo! Letsgoletsgoletsgo!" He pleaded until his mutterings became incomprehensible, and he all but knelt on the floor in desperation.

"We came here to visit the library, and that's what we're doing." Scowling, I took a hold of his collar and dragged him in the direction of the front door. "This way."

"But Lucaaaas!"

"Shut up! People are looking!"

(They weren't, but hey. Whatever worked.)

He tried again, trying to take advantage of my so-called weakness. "It's what _Dawn_ would've wanted!"

"That's not going to work, you know," I managed, trying not to let my resolve weaken out of annoyance.

He paused for a moment, and I knew this was the moment where, in a stroke of genius, Damion would magically make me agree with him.

"If you let me go, I'll stay outta your way when you research." He looked like some kid who was begging for candy, but in all actuality, I didn't quite have the heart to refuse him after that argument. "And besides, my dreams have been shattered enough today!"

"Then _go._" I sighed, trying not to let Damion's look of utter admiration soften my demeanor. "I'll be on the fourth floor of the library. Don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah. Alright, thanks, Luke." He stood up, then shot me a look of gratitude. Amazingly enough, his little-kid act had vanished as quickly as it came...

...then he sprinted head-on into the mob of people, shouting "CYNTHIA!" at the top of his lungs.

--

The Poketch read 4:30. Dawn was waiting by the bridge when I walked to her, alone. A large paper bag dangled from her arm, and a plush white scarf was draped in a bulky mass around her neck. She raised an eyebrow as I scrunitized her new outfit, warning me not to say anything about it unless I wanted to face certain doom.

"Where's Damion?" Were her first words after a moment of awkward quiet. I shrugged, trying not to let the disdain show.

"Cynthia's in Canalave," I explained, and she got it instantly, nodding halfheartedly and staring out into the sea.

We were silent for a while, letting the breeze and the ocean waves break the quiet. The streets were all but empty by now. It seemed as if the people had all gone home, despite the sun still being up.

"We should head back to the library, then," she suggested after a while, reluctance tinging her voice. I complied without a word, walking ahead before she had to tell me.

"What did you learn?"She pressed on after she had caught up to me, paper bag bouncing as she fought to keep up with my impatient stride.

"Little to nothing."

She nodded, understanding completely. Feeling a small pang of guilt when I saw how tired she was, I took her shopping bag and slowed my pace until we were walking at a steady rate.

"I think we know more about the three guardians than anyone. That is, other than TG," Dawn remarked quietly as we continued. "We actually got to meet them, if only for an instant. Others still think they're myths."

"If more people knew, don't you think we'd get tons of help on our side?"

"Yeah, sure." She scoffed, dragging her feet. "The word of three kids isn't going to help. Even if one of us is going to be _Pokemon Champion_ one day-" she rolled her eyes good-naturedly, referring to Damion, "- And another's probably going to take over Sandgem Lab when he completes the National Pokedex, people would still believe that none of us are capable of telling the truth."

"Don't sell yourself short," I responded. "What, so you think they won't take _your _word for it?"

"No. They'll think the adorable girl has a lovely imagination, but she's as strange as all the others." She managed a small smile, but I noticed that there was a certain dejection in her voice. Sensing my curiosity, she abruptly changed the subject. "Hey, you said Cynthia's in town, right?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, feeling sudden pity for the champion. As if she didn't have enough on her hands, she now had to endure dragging Damion and a swarm of fans around all day.

"Cynthia studies myths and legends, doesn't she? If we could get her to vouch for us, we'd get credibility and help from someone who knows what she's doing."

"Nice plan. If we can pry Damion away from her and manage to worm ourselves into her schedule, we'll be all set."

"Lucas. Ever the pessimist." In a rare show of playfulness, she tugged my scarf, nearly knocking me over. "Have some hope, won't you?"

"Don't _do that_," I retorted weakly, and she smirked, taking hold of it and dragging me across the street. I was glad that nobody was around (much less Damion, who would've taunted me for ages), but was less enthusiastic about the choking sensation that was sending ripples of pain throughout my chest.

"Hey, for once, I've bested you in something other than cooking. I'm going to cherish the moment." She gave the scarf another tug, enough to send me reeling but not enough to cause me unbearable pain. We were making good progress, actually, and had managed to manuever our way to the front of the library.

"So what have you bested me in? Brute force?" I managed to yank myself out of her grip, taking a second to readjust the scarf around my sore neck. Dawn smirked.

"Trust me, it's not as painful as eating the food you cook," she retaliated, a hint of amusement in her eyes. I said no more on the subject, but meandered my way to the nearest bench and collasped onto the wooden seat, the paper shopping bag landing with a thud next to me. Dawn walked her way over, but didn't sit down.

We scouted the front of the library for a few minutes from where we were. None of us had the energy to do any more walking, so we remained stationary.

"So where did Damion say he'd meet you? Did he say that he'd stay near the library?" Dawn finally ventured. I shrugged halfheartedly.

"He didn't say anything about that, actually."

"So you're saying he could be anywhere in this city. Anywhere."

"To the extent of my knowledge, yes. I assumed he'd still be here, though."

A look of utter annoyance crossed her face, and I started to regret even bringing her to the libary. Exasperated, she turned her gaze to the bench, and I moved over to give her some room.

"He knows that we're supposed to meet at the bridge," she muttered as she sat down. "He'd be there if he couldn't find you. And if not, he'd be here."

"Who knows? Maybe he's back at Harbor Inn," I tried, hoping to appease her. Dawn just bit her lip in contemplation, then took her handbag, sorting through layers of supplies before finding her Pokedex.

"Organization's important," I remarked, and she shot me an icy stare.

"Well, finding Damion comes before that." She extracted the bright red device, flipping it open as if it were more of a toy than an expensive research instrument. Trying to hide my annoyance, I watched as Dawn's fingers moved at lightning speed over the small keypad, typing in the registration number of Damion's Pokedex.

"Why didn't I think of calling him sooner?" She muttered as she waited for the device to contact the aforementioned trainer. Translation: _why didn't **you** think of calling him sooner?_ I felt a bit embarrassed, but not enough to let it faze me.

A couple of seconds, and Damion's voice came out of the speaker; calmly, clearly.

"Hey, yeah. Um, where are you?" Dawn asked oh-so-eloquently.

"That weird old inn. Cynthia's with me, too. Not many people are around here, so we're sorta hiding from her rabid fans."

"Oh, and you're not part of that rabid fanbase?" She queried, a small grin lighting her face.

"Uh, no. I kinda led her here. Figured she could stay the night with us, right?"

"Right, if that's okay with Luke." Dawn raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged. "He's alright with it. Of course, you guys need to share a room. I only got three, so Cynthia and I will take the other two. Is that alright?"

_WHAT?!_ I suddenly started flailing around in a desperate attempt to communicate my displeasure to Dawn, but she remained oblivious. Sure, I had stayed with them all in one room before, but not with Damion alone. What was he going to do to me without Dawn there?

"Yeah, that's fine," Damion replied, almost too cheerfully. Maybe because a _certain blond female trainer _was with him? "So we'll stay here and wait for you guys. Okay? See you later."

"Okay." She hung up and flipped the Pokedex shut, stuffing it with the rest of her belongings and turning to me.

"Let's get going. You have your, um, 'membership pass'?"

"Yeah. Yeah," I agreed wearily, not in any position to refuse. "But next time, give my thoughts some consideration."

"Is this about sharing a room?" I let my facial expression answer, and she rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Come on, Lucas. If Damion can live with it, why can't you?"

"He's just agreeing because Cynthia's with him. Come on, Dawn. You know him."

"I do know him. I _have_ known him," was the prompt, curt answer. Without warning, Dawn snatched her shopping bag, grabbed hold of my scarf yet again, and dragged me away from the bench. "We should go. There's no telling what he'll do without us around."

"Bad stuff," I mumbled. Dawn, surprisingly, heard that and smirked, tugging my scarf yet again.

"Exactly, Luke," she muttered, amusement in her eyes. "Exactly."


	3. Harbor Inn

Chapter Three: Harbor Inn

_Cynthia: Canalave City_

* * *

Damion and I were waiting by Harbor Inn, cheeks flushed from exhaustion. He had been right. The crumbling, derelict area was remarkably devoid of any passerby, making it the perfect hiding place. We had spent much of the afternoon trying to elude a swarm of people, and now, just having enough space to breathe was a blessing.

"Thank you," I managed after a moment. "Those crowds were terrible."

"No problem," he responded coolly, and gave me a resolute nod. There was a spark of accomplishment gleaming in his eyes, and I noted it with a smile. Damion and his friends had always been willing to help in strange situations. Maybe meeting them in Canalave was more than just a coincidence.

Damion had flipped his Pokedex open to take a call from Dawn. Not too interested in hearing the two converse, I leaned against the wall and tried to get my breath back. I needed some energy. After all, I hadn't come to Canalave City to sign autographs.

"Hey, Dawn said you could stay with us," the blond trainer called, tucking the Pokedex back into his bag. "You know, if you have nowhere else to go."

"I don't want to intrude on you three," I replied politely, though my feet were longing for some rest. Evidently catching the weariness in my tone, Damion raised an eyebrow and waved my response off casually.

"Look. You're the _Champion_! If anything, we should be honored to have you around!"

"I shouldn't be bothering you," I pressed on weakly. "I'd be an inconvenience. The business I have to take care of here will take a while to sort out." Seeing the skeptical look in his eyes, I sighed and added, "You shouldn't waste your time trying to help me."

"Wrong!" He retaliated swiftly, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Come on! The gym's closed, and I don't know how long we have to stay in this city. You need a place to rest, and I need to train." He paused, letting his argument sink in. "Who better to help _you_ than this charming young trainer? And who better to help _me_ than the _Champion of the League_?"

"I get it." I gave in, sensing that I would crush Damion if I refused his offer. "If all three of you are in agreement about me staying, I'll do so. I won't stay for long, though, and I'll pay you back somehow."

"Pay me back, eh?" He considered with a smirk. "Why don't you, uh, go easy on me when I challenge the League?"

"I can't guarantee that."

"Um, why don't you set Garchomp on those Team Galactic goons?"

"Believe me, I wish I could." I sighed inwardly, remembering that I still had those people to take care of.

"Oh, I know! Why don't you go out wit-"

"-_I'll find something_, Damion. I promise."

I gave him a small smile, and I could swear that the boy melted.

"Where will we be staying?" I asked him then, trying to relieve the awkwardness. "At the Pokemon Center?"

Damion's face suddenly fell. I could tell that the trainer's living arrangements were, well, less than extravagant. He toyed around with some answers before mumbling, sheepishly:

"Uh, turn around."

The crumbling, torn walls of Harbor Inn met my gaze.

--

Damion had to resist breaking into laughter when Dawn and Lucas came sprinting to us, apparently to make sure I hadn't been killed in the past few hours.

Lucas skidded to a halt, cast his gaze on me, breathed a sigh of relief to see that I was unscathed, and doubled over in exhaustion.

Dawn glared at Damion, glanced apologetically at me, helped Lucas up, and beamed as if nothing had gone amiss.

"Hello, Cynthia!" She greeted, a large shopping bag dangling from her fingers. "We're sorry to keep you waiting. Have you guys looked inside yet?"

"Inside Harbor Inn?" Damion answered for me. He paused, contemplating something. "Oh yeah! I had the Membership Pass thing with me, huh?"

He whipped the card out dramatically, and it caught the light in a way that made Lucas roll his eyes.

"You mean you kept Cynthia waiting outside the entire afternoon? Come on, Damion. That's low, even for you."

"Hey, like we had _time_ to rest! We were dodging crazed fans all day!" Damion punched at the air, imitating some sort of action hero. "I was _awesome_! You of all people should know how fast I am, and today was no exception. We were whipping through the crowds, pushing people out of the way, risking blood and bone to get out of that place alive-"

"-Though it wasn't half as gruesome, Damion, it was quite impressive," I contributed weakly, noting Dawn's skeptic glare. She shrugged her shoulders at me. "Men," she sighed, cutting Damion off just as he was about to speak again. "Don't ask me what he's talking about, okay? I'm not of his species."

I moved to the side to grant her access to the door. She swiped her Membership Pass under the sensor, raising an eyebrow when the door didn't open.

"It's an old building," Lucas spoke up. "There must be some problems with the machinery."

"Strange. Nurse Joy told me it had been renovated a few years ago." Dawn turned her card over, inspecting it in the sunlight. "Maybe I did it wrong."

She flipped it over, and tried it with similar results. "Oy, this is frustrating. Can I see yours, Damion?"

Instead of handing the card over, he strode over and swiped the pass himself. The sensor gave out a faint beep, and the door swung open, much to his enjoyment.

"See that, Dawn?" He boasted, prompting the adolescent girl to raise an eyebrow. "I've got the magic touch."

"Or maybe you just got lucky," she responded gruffly. Lucas, who was watching with an amused grin, shrugged at me.

"Alright, guys, this took long enough. We should head in. Ladies first," he told the three of us, smirking. "That means you, Damion."

"Real nice, Luke. If anything, Cynthia should enter first." He bowed in mock courtesy, a beam across his face. "I _have_ kept her out all day, right?"

Grinning in appreciation, I took a hesitant step into the inn. The entrance led to a dimly lit reception room, one that was empty and as derelict as the inn looked outside. It was alright, though, in an antique sort of way. "Nothing too daunting. Come on in."

I turned around to see their reactions. As usual, Lucas walked in nonchantly, but I could see him trying to hide his disdain. Damion shivered involuntarily as he stepped inside, the cold blast of dank air catching him by surprise. Dawn followed last (maybe the trio forgot their "ladies first" rule) and peered around in interest, as if she found the place fascinating, not repulsive. I smiled at her, admiring her sense of adventure.

"Alright, everyone," she spoke cheerfully, choosing to ignore the skeptic look that Lucas shot at her. "Now that we're pleasantly situated, it's time to choose rooms. As I said before, I only booked three, so Damion and Lucas are sharing. The rooms are apparently down that hallway." She pointed at a dark corridor just beside the reception counter, one that bore an eerie resemblance to the mouth of a cave. "I think we can make this work."

"You used to be so reasonable," Lucas muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, Dawn!" Damion chimed in, his voice trembling a little. "'Pleasantly situated' my a-"

"Damion! Maybe you and Lucas would like to choose rooms first?" Dawn cut him off promptly, shooting me a nervous smile. "I mean, you guys have to share, right?"

"Right, yeah," he stammered, getting the hint. "Yeah, whatever you say."

I had to laugh.

--

The room I selected for myself was small and cozy, much like the bedroom I left behind in Celestic Town. The other three trainers had all objected to the choice, insisting on a more spacious living arrangement. "Don't worry," I reassured them. "I like this room better than all the others. It's comfortable, and the view's amazing."

It was true. One look out the dusty window allowed me to glimpse at the heart of Canalave City. I could see the cerulean waves lapping back and forth, the uniformed sailors shouting at each other, and the pastel hues of the sky as day gave way to night.

Despite the old age of the furnishings, everything seemed to be kept remarkably well. The bedsheets and blankets were nicely arranged on the twin beds, carrying none of the musty smell that permeated every other nuance of the building. The carpets were neat and stainless, though a little plain. The nightstand that separated the two beds was polished, shining with a dull gleam.

I sat on one of the beds, staring outside the window and humming quietly to myself. Despite everything, I was actually a bit relieved to be in Canalave. I always had loved to visit the city, despite it being so busy. It was a welcome reprieve from the intensity that bore down on me every day at the League.

However, I couldn't relax. The invisible but ever-present danger in this city needed my undivided attention, and I couldn't let my guard down. Anxiety hammered at my mind, trapped by layers of skin and skull. A deep exhaustion surfaced in my soul, and it took everything I possessed to suppress it.

_These apparitions grow stronger by the day_

When I had heard of Canalave's problem, I was quick to dismiss it. After all, the Pokemon that caused these nightmares was known to lurk about the area. It was a common complaint, the apparitions and hallucinations, but they were no reason to abandon the city. The terrible nights faded over time. The nightmares were replaced by blissful dreams, and life went on again.

_These apparitions grow stronger by the_

It was Lucian who told me. Lucian, the eerily intuitive, the psychic trainer in more ways than one. He didn't know, though, the way my heart fluttered when we talked, just the two of us. If he did, he covered it well.

_These apparitions grow stronger by_

"It's been a week," he told me under the cover of night, his voice a faint mutter despite the emptiness of the room. "More citizens are succumbing to these nightmares. They stay asleep, cursed by an unrelenting hallucination. Unable to awaken."

_These apparitions grow stronger_

I knew the situation was dire when Byron called the next day. He said that there were trainers that had postponed matches without any explanation. But he knew the reason for their disappearance, and the reality of it was frightening.

"They're at the Pokemon Center," he had reported firmly, though an undertone of fear was evident in his voice. "It's the nightmares. The nightmares got them all."

_Stronger_

Without warning, sleep pulled me into its grip, and I fell willingly into its arms.

_  
__--_

The next morning went by in a blur. I faced each young trainer with the same politeness, greeted them with the same smile. The three were somewhat perplexed at how I had managed to fall asleep so early. They didn't question it too much, however, which surprised me.

I idly watched as the three talked amongst themselves. Picking at my breakfast, I noted how the three were somewhat quiet, making small chat and trying not to discuss topics of too much importance. Once in a while, one of the three would glance in my direction, as if he or she were afraid of meeting my gaze but was also trying not to exclude me from the group.

"Where do you think we should go next, Cynthia?" Dawn asked me out of the blue, absentmindedly twirling the straw in her glass of water. "We were talking about heading to Iron Island for a while, but we still want to research a bit more."

"That sounds nice," I replied, noting how Damion looked a little restless at the mention of more studying. "But if you're low on time, I suggest heading over to Iron Island and getting all your adventuring out of the way. If anything goes wrong here, I'll let you know."

"But aren't you coming with us?" Damion stopped trying to stab a fork into his fried egg to contribute to the conversation. "I thought you were here to investigate the Pokemon. There's plenty at Iron Island."

"I still have to get a few more studies in," I improvised. "There's a wide range of Pokemon in the Canalave region, so I'll have to stay a while. Don't let me stop you from going new places, alright?" I lent a small smile to the table, and all at once, the three trainers averted their gazes. Something inside me sank.

"If she's staying, I think we should too," Lucas mumbled to Dawn. "There could be something important going on here."

Dawn bit her lip and glanced my way, and I tried to look as if I hadn't heard anything. Being stuck on as a fourth wheel was somewhat confusing, but I could bear it for the time being. At the same time, though, I could sense that the three were trying hard to think of a way that would satisfy all of us.

Exactly what that meant, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that somehow, I was keeping them off of Iron Island.

I wanted to tell them. I wanted to say that their lives were in their own hands, and they didn't need me to decide their plans for them. But what would I be, then? Making assumptions and jumping to conclusions, like I normally did... the same high-and-mighty Champion everybody seemed to think I was.

I just waited. Nobody talked for a while, and everything was quiet save for the clinking of silverware and the occasional "Hand me a napkin, will you?". I had all but lost my appetite, but I continued eating, breakfast turning into flavorless bites as the silence wore on.

"So, are we going to stay or leave?" Dawn broke in at last. Damion shrugged, and Lucas didn't answer.

"My opinion is that we should make the most out of the nights we've booked at Harbor Inn," she continued, in an effort to make conversation. "I think we should stay a while, then go to Iron Island. We can study Pokemon with Cynthia, if she doesn't mind-" here, she addressed me with a raise of the fork, then lowered it quickly as if she had broken some law, "And then, when we've got all our Pokedex entries filled in for this location, we'll be able to go adventuring without worrying about unfinished business."

"Sounds like a lotta work," Damion remarked, leaning back on his chair. Lucas nodded slowly, considering the plan, and then responded with an "Okay then, sounds cool to me."

"You just want to spend more time in the library, don't you?" The other boy sighed, shaking his head reproachfully. "Luke, Luke, Luke. Is reading really that interesting?"

"Guys..." Dawn murmured, but she went unnoticed as Lucas countered with an "At least it's more interesting than running around like a maniac!"

"Guys who run get stronger. Guys who read are total wimps!"

"Guys," Dawn tried again, this time raising her voice and glancing at me with a hint of trepidation. I tried to keep the amusement out of my expression. Although they were arguing, this was as natural as the boys had been ever since the three invited me to spend the night. It was somewhat entertaining, seeing as I could guess who was going to emerge as the winner of the fight.

"It's not like I'll take that seriously, coming from some idiot who can't do anything but-"

"Oh, really? Well, who's got six gym badges and who's got nothing? Take a closer look-"

"Well, who's got more than a hundred entries into his Pokedex already? You take a closer look!"

"And who's got a better chance of whooping Team Galactic's butts instead of being dragged away like the loser he is?"

"Well then, when those Galactic freaks blow Twinleaf up with one of their bombs, you'll regret not reading up!" Lucas was trying to collect himself, a tinge of red burning on his cheeks.

"Oh, sure. I'm so scaredof TG and their freakish bombs! But when they blow Sandgem up, I know one slowpoke who'll be left behind when others make a run for it! And even if you're as fast as I am, you'd still be left behind! Trying to save your precious research!"

"Guys, please!" Came the next, insistent plea, but both boys were practically livid at this point. Bringing their respective towns into the argument had definitely livened up the fight. I watched, and though my amusement was probably evident by now, Dawn was still trying hard to calm the boys down. She was probably used to such banters, however, so I didn't quite get why it was so important to her now.

"So I bet that you'd care more if they set a bomb in Canalave Library than your own house at Sandgem!"

"And you'd have fun, too, running around while people get killed!"

"In case you forgot, Lucas, Twinleaf's where Dawn lives too! And if some TG people randomly decide to blow the place up, you won't be fast enough to save either one of us."

There was a cold silence after that, and I tried to appear neutral, focusing on the unfinished breakfast that lay on my plate. Dawn was shooting death glares at both boys, and although nobody said a word, everybody seemed to sense the tension in the air.

When a moment passed and Lucas said nothing, Damion grinned smugly and once again leaned back on his chair, as if he reigned as king of the breakfast table. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief, and the one remaining trainer just leaned against the table and muttered-

"It's not like I'll bother trying."

Dawn's fork faltered mid-air, and Damion looked as if somebody had offered to punch him in the face. Even I was somewhat taken aback, but I said nothing and continued eating as if nothing went wrong. I could tell, though, that the moment I was out of their vicinity, the young researcher from Sandgem would definitely face an undesirable consequence.

"Well. I'm glad you guys stopped arguing." Dawn stated then, standing up and collecting the plates. I pushed mine half-heartedly towards her, even though I had a few bites left. She shot a glance at me, told the boys that they should both be ashamed of themselves, and the two looked down as if they were witnessing the most embarrassing spectacle of their lives.

"It's okay, you guys!" I managed. "A few arguments once in a while won't hurt anybody. Besides, I could tell that you guys were only joking."

"Yes, we were. Nothing to worry about," Damion murmured, and Lucas only nodded, evidently chatised by Dawn's lecture.

"Alright, then." Dawn shot a nervous smile at me, and I nodded back, somewhat grateful that I wasn't being ignored once more.

"Thanks for the breakfast. You three are great cooks, you know that?" I responded, standing up to leave. She shrugged and tried to look modest, while the boys just looked down and didn't reply.

"So where are you heading, Cynthia?" Damion asked suddenly, noticing that I was about to get up. "Aren't we gonna study Pokemon with you?"

"Oh, just around the city. I'm not leaving Canalave today," I answered. "Studying Pokemon" wasn't the best way to put it, but yes, it was somewhat truthful.

--

Morning gave way to the heat of noon, and the evening sky faded into the pitch black of night. The others were all asleep at Harbor Inn, put out after a day of studying in the field. I walked Canalave alone.

Maybe it was the day's events, maybe it was some other reason I was too exhausted to look into. But yes, I was tired. Extremely tired, for some unknown, irrational reason. It felt like every other night, when everyone had gone off to sleep and I had to sift through records and research papers, keeping the Hall of Fame in check, and so forth.

But this time, despite the searing exhaustion, I chose to be awake. The quiet air of Canalave at night was oddly soothing, and I was grateful to feel the cool breeze against my skin. Everything was silent, save for some hushed conversations and the lapping of water against the docks. This was the only time I had to look into the nightmares and I had to take advantage of it, even at the cost of some sleep.

"Cynthia?" Came an inquisitive murmur, and I turned around, half-expecting to see another interested stranger. All I saw was the face of a familiar boy, red scarf billowing in the wind. "You're out late."

"The same could be said of you," I attempted a grin, trying to mask my disappointment at being caught out. "Let me guess, the library?"

"Hm," replied Lucas. He shifted uneasily to one side when he realized that I wasn't about to say any more. "How about you?"

"Same place." I stood in place as he walked towards me, a swirl of color admist the black of the night. "I wanted to find out a little bit more about this region. I just didn't want to bother the three of you too much during the day."

"Yeah," he noted, as we continued walking. "Except..."

His voice drifted off, and I noticed that there was something off about his tone. "Except what?"

"You won't be mad at me for saying this, right?" He mumbled to the ground.

"...I doubt it. What's wrong?"

"You're not exactly studying the Pokemon here, aren't you?"

I tried to hide my surprise, but then again, there wasn't much to mask. Lucas had always been the type to figure things out quickly. "Yes, I guess you could say that. How'd you know?"

"You already seemed to know a lot about the ones in his region. You were pointing things out to us this afternoon, things that none of us caught. It seemed like you did enough research beforehand."

"Yeah. Too much time on my hands, right?" I answered, and he shrugged.

"No. You look exhausted."

I didn't know what to say to that, but I was glad that at least somebody had noticed. Yet, he didn't tell me to get any rest, which was a relief.

"I can't get much sleep," he continued. "Damion's giving me a hard time, but I guess I only have myself to blame."

"Don't worry. It'll blow over," I answered, realizing that I sounded like some ignorant adult. "I could tell that you two were joking during breakfast. He'll forget."

"I know he will. Dawn won't," came the distraught response. I stayed silent, contemplating his words, when he quickly added, "She won't give me a hard time about it when you're around."

"So what are you implying, here?"

"That you can stay around a little longer." He shrugged, noting that I looked somewhat hesitant. "Sorry. I'm just kidding."

"It's fine," I responded casually, not sure what to make of this.

The rest of the walk to Canalave Library was silent, but despite our earlier attempts at conversation, it wasn't the awkward sort of quiet that flooded the air. It was the wide-open-spaces sort of silence, and I tried to breathe in it as much as possible. For some reason, though I was still bound to my duty as League Champion, it seemed as if I had never felt freer.

"It's open until midnight," Lucas stated, studying the sign that hung on the door when we got there. "It's around ten right now, so we've got plenty of time."

"Sounds good. I'm able to stay up pretty late," I responded, smiling at him when he opened the door for me. "What about you?"

"I'll leave around that time too, I guess," he murmured, which dashed my hopes of intensive study. With Lucas around, it would be difficult to look into the matter without attracting his curiosity.

"What floor?" He asked me, breaking me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the directory, then bit my lip in thought.

"I'll try the third floor. Myths and legends." I turned to Lucas, who was evidently interested in the bulky books that lined the shelves on our current floor. "Are you sure you'll be able to finish one of those tonight?"

"Oh, no... I was just curious. I was planning on the third floor too."

--

"'A Sinnoh Myth'. Sounds intriguing." I watched as the young trainer examined the cover, flipped through the pages, then put it back. "But not what you're looking for."

"Yeah. I have something specific in mind." He scanned the book titles before glancing up at me and asking, "Do you happen to know anything about the legends of the lake?"

"You mean Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf?" I answered absentmindedly, studying the books as well. "I grew up hearing stories about the trio. Of course, those might be flawed interpretations."

"Would you mind telling me anything you know?" He ventured, then quickly added, "Only if it doesn't bother you."

"Sure." I ran my finger down the row of books, biting my lip when I couldn't seem to find much in the way of strange nightmares. "Why the sudden interest?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, then shrugged and muttered, "Team Galactic and their twisted plan. Just wanted a little more information."

"Oh, that." The trainer nodded as I examined the summary of a book that looked promising. It wasn't. "Mind if I look something up first, though?"

"Not at all." He glanced at the books again for a brief moment, then walked to another shelf, footsteps loud in the silence of the library.

It was evident that Lucas had only left to give me space, and for once, I was relieved at the trainer's politeness. Though I knew that he was intelligent enough to understand Canalave's dilemma, troubling him with the matter would only make things even more difficult for him. I knew that Lucas and his friends were an inquisitive bunch, and never passed up a chance for adventure. Yet, drawing them in would put them in immeasurable danger.

This was something I had to do on my own.

With the exhaustion of the day finally catching up to me, I let myself lean against the bookshelf, sighing in exasperation. As a child, I had come to the library almost every day. Much like Lucas, I was fascinated by the rows and rows of books. It was like heaven on earth. Now, with my eyes burning from lack of sleep, Canalave Library seemed more like the opposite.

"Hey! Come look at this!" Lucas called from the other side of the room. Blinking back the exhaustion, I took a deep breath and turned to face the trainer, who was walking over with an open book in his hands.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I think this is important," he told me, a faint excitement shining in his eyes. "Here, look at this passage."

My eyes trailed his finger and met the fine print of the dusty book.

Look not into the Pokémon's eyes. In but an instant, you'll have no recollection of who you are. Return home, but how? When there is nothing to remember?

"Uxie," I mumbled instinctively.

Dare not touch the Pokémon's body. In but three short days, all emotions will drain away.

Above all, above all, harm not the Pokémon. In a scant five days, the offender will grow immobile in entirety.

Lucas nodded, snapping the book shut. A cloud of dust rose up from the musty pages, and I sneezed on impulse, immediately prompting profuse apologies from the trainer before me.

"Don't worry about it. That myth, though... yes. It's a familiar one." I took the book from his hands, studying the cover. "A Horrifying Myth" had been scrawled onto the worn front with permanent marker, probably because the printed title had already faded away over the years. I traced the letters with my finger, writing a trail through the dust that clung to the cover.

Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf. The three guardians of the lakes. Childhood memories flooded back into my mind, and I found myself fighting the impulse to tell Lucas all that I knew. Instead, I handed the book back to him.

"Harming these three can bring about serious consequences, Lucas."

"I know," he responded. No surprise there. "So Uxie can wipe your memory out, Azelf can paralyze you, and Mesprit..."

"...Will make you incapable of feeling emotion," I finished blearily. The tiredness was really getting to me. "Did this help with your research?"

"Kind of," Lucas shrugged, tucking the book under his arm. There was a look of sharp intelligence in his eyes, an emotion that made the young man seem wiser than his years. "Yes, actually. It made me wonder exactly how Cyrus- I mean, Team Galactic- is trying to go about capturing them. These Pokemon seem strong enough to defend themselves, but TG has amazing technology. I can't underestimate anything they're going to try."

"So you believe that Team Galactic's going to succeed?" The sentence came out harsher than I expected. "I know you're concerned, Lucas, but there's no need to worry so much. The police are already stationed near the lakes in case anything happens. Besides-" I gave him a small smile, seeing the hesitation in his eyes. "-We've got you, Dawn, and Damion on the case. You three are some of the bravest young trainers I've met in my lifetime."

"But do you think that it's true, then?" He asked quietly, his voice dropping to the faintest of murmurs. "Do you think that Team Galactic might actually, you know, hurt anybody? I know that they've kidnapped some people, and their Pokemon..." His voice trailed off, but he spoke again before I could respond. "I'm just wondering about what Damion said during breakfast. The whole idea of blowing towns up and such. You don't think they'd do that, do you?"

I shut my eyes, not wanting to respond. I knew the answer, but was it really alright to tell Lucas?

"To be honest, I think they'd do anything to get their way," I finally mumbled against my better judgment. He eyed me with worry, and I sighed, not willing to meet his gaze. "I know the Team Galactic members you've encountered have been less than formidable, but that isn't the full extent of their power and ruthlessness. The people in charge of the organization are criminals, and extremely dangerous people. And their leader, Cyrus... Cyrus is a madman."

"I know," he muttered. "I've met him."

"I'm only telling you this because you're a rational person. You're smart enough to know that Team Galactic isn't something to take lightly. Just promise me that you won't be reckless and put yourself in danger, even if it is for the sake of stopping them."

"I know," he repeated, this time with a hint of amusement. "Hey, why don't you tell Damion that? If given the chance, he'd probably try tackling Cyrus to the floor."

"Ah, how our problems would be resolved then," I laughed despite myself. "Unfortunately, life's a little more difficult than that. Violence can never really resolve a problem, not completely."

"How about battling? We've always driven Team Galactic off using our Pokemon." He paused for a moment. "How is that any different?"

"In a sense, Pokemon can be looked at as a means of security. Haven't your parents ever told you to stay away from the tall grass when you were young, worrying that some wild Pokemon might attack you?" The trainer nodded, prompting me to continue. "Most of the time, battling is just a competitive game. You defeat the other person's team, you shake hands, the battle ends. But when it comes to serious things- things like crime, things that Team Galactic is capable of- it's much more than just beating the other trainer. If your entire team is defeated, that leaves you extremely vulnerable. Your Pokemon are gone, unable to be of protection. And that leaves you, the trainer, open to attack.

"That's where the difference lies, Lucas. On ordinary terms, a battle ends when you render your opponent's Pokemon unable to battle. When you take advantage of that person's momentary weakness, though, that's when true violence occurs. That's unforgivable."

I gazed at him, not entirely sure if he understood.

"Wait," Lucas answered. "So instead of attacking my Pokemon, the opponent could attack me?"

"On a regular basis, that's an improbability. Intentionally ordering an attack on a person... it's punishable by law, of course, and no trainer's foolish enough to go that far. But Team Galactic doesn't exactly play by the rules. If you stand in their way, you can get severely injured. Even the weakest of Pokemon attacks can deal unprecedented damage to a human."

"How do you know this? Have you seen it happen?"

"Yes, Lucas. I have. And I don't want to see it happen again, especially not to you or your friends." I exhaled sharply, a new anxiety in my mind. "I hope you'll use this knowledge wisely, alright? Don't go doing anything rash or foolish."

"I know, Cynthia," he replied, a quiet wisdom in his eyes. "I won't."

For some reason, I knew that Lucas wouldn't keep the promise. I could see that the burden of this truth weighed heavily on his chest, though he covered it with a feeble smile. And his youthful naivete, his foolish determination, the invincibility that he believed he possessed... it sent shock waves coursing through my mind, resounding with the pain of long-ago memories.

Unable to move, unable to face him, I said nothing back.

* * *

**A/N: **First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's reading and reviewing so far! You guys are awesome.

Second, it's SO MUCH FUN to write in Cynthia's perspective, since you can put pretty deep stuff into her thoughts. Same with Dawn and Lucas, actually, just on a lesser scale. But Damion... oh, gosh, Damion. I'm going to have a field day with him, trust me, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter for that!

And as for the whole "Team Galactic using Pokemon to kill people" thing... hey, don't ask how I came up with that one! It just seems a bit more realistically evil though. I mean, you have a team of powerhouses at your disposal- wouldn't it be incredibly easy to crush your opposition? Besides, it sets the stage for lots of character angst.

('Specially when it comes down to Cynthia, but, uh, never mind about that now.)


End file.
